Former MRU student union president tries to withdraw guilty plea for fraud

Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald04.18.2013

The former president of the student union at Mount Royal University, Meghan Darcy Melnyk, 27, has admitted to robbing of the Servus Credit Union in the 5300 block of 68th Avenue S.E., on Feb. 29, 2012.Calgary Herald/Files
/ Students Association of Mount Ro

Meghan Melnyk waits on an LRT platform after leaving a hearing in the Calgary Courts Centre on Thursday. Melnyk, a former student union president at Mount Royal University who has admitted to bank robbery to feed a gambling addiction, is attempting to withdraw a guilty plea for fraud related to a bad cheque.Gavin Young
/ Calgary Herald

The former student union president at Mount Royal University is attempting to withdraw her guilty plea from last summer for fraud, for allegedly cashing a bad cheque that was reported stolen.

Meghan Darcy Melnyk testified Thursday that she was advised by her former lawyer to plead guilty to all of the charges against her, including robbing a financial institution, being disguised and breaching probation. Her sentencing on those charges was delayed Thursday.

She told her current lawyer, Tonii Roulston, she never had any detailed discussions with previous lawyer Derek Lovatt, and signed an agreed statement of facts without giving it a proper read.

“I knew I pleaded guilty to something I didn’t do . . . my lawyer told me it (fraud charge) in the big scheme of things didn’t matter,” Melnyk testified. “He told me my (fraud) case was unassailable and it was all about the robbery.

“He said if I plead guilty to all, it would be finished sooner.”

Melnyk, 29, said she understood the agreed statement of facts that was entered as an exhibit contained a paragraph that said she had cashed a fraudulent cheque, but she believed it did not mean she was the fraudster.

She testified she had advertised a laptop computer for sale on an Internet site and met the prospective buyers, who gave her the cheque at North Hill Mall. She said she then cashed it at the bank to which the cheque was written and there were no problems.

It was only when police contacted her about it that she learned there was a problem, she added.

Court heard the fraud under $5,000 was tied to a stolen purse.

Under cross-examination by Crown prosecutor Ken McCaffrey, Melnyk agreed she had a couple of months to peruse the agreed facts before it was entered as an exhibit, but didn’t see any problems.

She denied that she was trying to rescind the plea just to delay proceedings.

As far as the cheque goes, she said she didn’t often deal in them, so she hadn’t seen anything wrong. She also said she never got a bill of sale for the computer.

Following her comments related to Lovatt, McCaffrey was granted an adjournment to be able to subpoena him to testify regarding his dealings on the guilty plea with Melnyk.

Lovatt is scheduled to testify at the continuation of the hearing June 7. Whatever charges are still ongoing will then proceed to sentencing June 17.

Melnyk previously told reporters she was sorry for placing former colleagues at the university and its students’ association in a negative spotlight, spurring international headlines when charged for the robbery in March 2012.

Melnyk admitted to entering the Servus Credit Union at 5303 68th Ave. S.E. on Feb. 29, 2012, passing a note to a teller indicating she was armed, and demanding cash.

The teller put $6,180 in cash, bait bills and a dye pack in a manila envelope. Staff noted her licence plate as she left and called 911.

Police arrested Melnyk in a silver PT Cruiser later that day.

Court heard the envelope, a grey sweater, sunglasses, makeup and used makeup removers were found in the car, which Melnyk owned. Police also found a butterfly knife.

Outside court, Melnyk told reporters she had a gambling addiction unrelated to VLTs — as previously noted in court.

The former student leader admitted the university’s proximity to a casino was a problem for her.

Melnyk had resigned unexpectedly in January 2012 after the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University found “financial anomalies” during a routine performance review.

The students’ association handed files over to police, but it was later deemed a civil matter.

Melnyk has two previous convictions, including possession of a stolen 1998 Ford Explorer in 2008. She was also convicted of falsely applying for a social insurance number in January 2010 — a month before she was elected to her first job on the executive council.

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Former MRU student union president tries to withdraw guilty plea for fraud

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